Washing-machine.



F. DUMAS.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1913.

1,093,689. Patented Apr. 21, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v 4 WMMZZ emdymfl ATTORNEY;

PLANOGRAPM CO-YWASHINGTON D. c.

P. DUMAS.

WASHING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED/MAY 6, 1913. I 1,093,689. Patented Apr. 21, 1914 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I 1 IE- FRANK DUMAS, OF BURKE, NEW YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed May 6, 1913. Serial No. 765,896.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK DUMAS, residing atBurke, in the county of Franklin and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved lVashing-Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improved washing machine of the rotary agitator type,and my invention primarily has for its purpose to provide a machine ofthe general character stated of a simple and economical constructlon and18 especially designed to adapt 1t for washing all kinds of fabrics in aquick and efficient manner and with little or no danger of injurythereto.

With other objects in view my invention provides an improvedconstruct-ion of washing machine in which is included a reverselyrotatable agitator, and means for actuating the same, in the nature of agear segment that engages a gear on the agitator shaft and formed withan oscillatory hand lever and spring mechanism that assists in throwingthe lever as it is oscillated and which acts as a tension means forholding the said lever against excessive movement in either direction asit is moved by hand.

My invention also provides an improved means for confining the fabricsbeing washed.

to such conditions within the tub for facilitating the beater action ofthe agitator and for holding the fabric from choking against the top ofthe washer.

In its more subordinate nature, my invention consists in certain detailsof construction and novel arrangement of parts all of which will behereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appendedclaim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved washing machine. Fig. 2 isa vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same,the cover and the agitator or beater being shown raised, a slightlymodified arrangement of the lever springs being also shown. Fig. t is aplan view of the machine shown in Fig. 3, the top being down.

The practical arrangement of my improved washing machine consists of abody or tub 1, preferably tapering in shape, whose inner face is smooththroughout. At the rear edge the tub has a fixedly held, cover plate 2to the lower side of which is secured a cross cleat 3, the purpose ofwhich will presently appear.

a designates a cover or lid and it is connected by the hinges 55 withthe cover piece 2 to swing up toward the said piece 2 in the mannerclearly shown in Fig. 8, whereby to lift the rotary beater or agitator 6entirely off the tub when it is desired to put in or take out of the tubthe material to be washed.

The agitator or heater 6 in my improved washing machine comprises a hub60, pendentfrom the lid 4, it being of a length to extend approximatelytwo-thirds down into the tub, whereby to leave the bottom part of thetub free for receiving and for agitating the fabrics to be cleaned. Thebeater 6 also includes a series of fingers 61 that project laterallyfrom the hub and these are of uniform length and extend but partiallyacross the tub, to leave free space at the inner sides of the tub fromthe top to the bottom for the purpose presently explained. The shaft 63of the beater or agitator, extends up through a bearing 64 in the hingedtop, and it is keyed to a segment gear 7 that rotates with the shaft 63and it is held to be oscillated on 'the ball bearings 65 (see Fig. 2).The

upper end of the shaft 63 is journaled in a bridge bracket 8 that ismounted upon the top or cover.

9 designates, what I term the actuating lever, since the oscillation ofthe lever actuates the beater 6. and the said lever swings in ahorizontal plane above the top of the washer. At the inner end the lever9 carries a segment gear 92 that meshes with the segment gear 7 on thebeater shaft, it being apparent by referring to the drawings, that byswinging the lever 9 in opposite directions, a reverse rotary motion isimparted to the beater or agitator. Lever 9 is fulcrumed on a stud bolt8 secured to the hinged cover and for limiting the throw of the lever,in either direction, and for providing a spring power that assists inswinging the said lever in its opposite movement, the said lever isconnected to a stout steel spring bar 10 the lower endof which is boltedto the outside of the tub and the upper end is passed through anelongated slot 93 in the lever.

11 designates a. supplemental spring device and the same may be a singlecoiled spring that extends entirely around the upper end of the tub andis fastened thereto by a screw 13, as shown in Fig. 2, and the oppositeends thereof connected to the spring bar 10, or it may be two shortcoiled springs 1212 connected to the said bar 10 and the tub, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4. By connecting the coiled spring device to the bar 10,as shown, any tendency to put an excessive strain on the bar 10, as itis bent over in the opposite directions is overcome by the tension ofthe coiled springs, which tension, as the lever is started in anopposite direction together with the tension of the spring bar 10, tendsto materially aid in moving the lever 10 in the said opposite direction.

The hinged lid or cover 4 does not extend entirely across the top of thetub, and by reason thereof a space 15 is provided, at one side of thetub, that is closed at the bottom by a supplemental top or cover piece16.

located at right angles to the cross cleat 3 on which the stationarycover piece 2 is mounted. By forming the cover in the manner statedprovision is made for readily pulling out the clothes over the member 16when the coVer is raised, as in Fig. 3.

By reason of arranging the members 3 and 16, as stated, the clothes asthey are agitated by the beater are caused to engage the said members 3and 16 and be thereby constantly directed toward the lower part of thetub, and as they are thrown up (see arrow it) toward the cover, they arecaused to engage the cleats 3 and 16 to be again deflected onto thebeater members after creating a thorough sousing or agitating of thematerial being washed.

20 designates a latch device of any approved form for holding the hingedcover tightly on the top of the-tub.

Another advantage in making the hinged lid to cover but a part of thetop of the tub and placing the supplemental member 16 as stated andshown, is that provision is made for pouring the washing fluid or addingto the fluid contained in the tub by pouring onto the member 16, fromwhence it passes under the lid into the tub and thereby saves necessityof raising the cover and its attached parts for pouring in the solution.

WVhat I claim is:

A washing machine comprising a tub, a hinged top therefor, a rotarybeater mounted on the top, an actuating lever also mounted on the topoperatively connected with the beater, said lever including a handleprojected beyond the top and horizontally swingable relatively to thesaid top, a tension device mounted on the tub with which the said handleengages when the top is down, and which operates to limit the swingablemovements of the said handle, the said handle having a longitudinalslot, the said tension device consisting of a resilient member whosefree end projects upwardly and is held to extend into the slot of thehandle when the latter is swung down, and supplemental tension membersthat connect with the resilient member at each side there of, saidsupplemental tension members being secured to the body of the tub anddisposed at right angles to the resilient member.

FRANK DUMAS.

Witnesses:

SILAS BnooKs, M. T. SoANLoN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Paton", Washington, D. G."

